Talk about star power!!!

[B.R.Stateham]

James Patterson just signed. . . now get this . . . a 17 book deal with Hatchette. He's supposed to bring out 11 new adult books, with a number of them regulated to his three running mystery/detective series which consistantly land on the best seller's list.

And who says financial times are terrible these days? The deal is reported to be worth $150 million.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I wonder if he's going to write any of them?

[Donna Carrick]

That would be a sweet surprise.

[D.R. MacMaster]

17 books! That's like an entire month's work for him.... and his helpers....

[John McFetridge]

Of course he isn't going to write them all. This is very close to the TV model where there is one head writer - showrunner is the term now - and a group of staff writers. That's the only way the show can have 13 or 22 episodes a season.

David Chase didn't write every Sopranos episode, David Simon didn't write every Wire episode.

This model has some potential for books, but I wish it was in order to get more like The Sopranos and The Wire.

[Jon Loomis]

Damn, dude. Leave some for the rest of us.

[Donna Carrick]

Hey, Jon, pipe down and keep writing my books! ;=)

[I. J. Parker]

This is a book factory producing a fashionable brand.

[B.R.Stateham]

So true, I.J. So true. On one hand you kinda have to admire the guy and the situation he's created for himself. Yet you have to wonder if there will ever be any money around for a publishing house to spend on someone else.

[D.R. MacMaster]

Probably not. I wonder how much of a share will his "co-authors" get from this deal.

I don't really resent his business model, but I think it can be tweaked a little with some openness. I have no problem if an author who can't produce at Donald Westlake/Ed McBain levels makes a deal with someone to keep a series going. What I'd like to see is more along the lines of "James Patterson Presents..." kind of a deal. The way things seem to be set up, with all the secrecy, strikes me like they have something to hide, like wanting to keep the co-authors stuck on the reservation, so to speak, and not be able to forge their own career separate from their literary lord and master.

In fact, it could be a fun challenge to get an author to set up a "bible" for a book series, establishing characters, main settings, and some basic rules, and then let a bunch of talented newcomers take a crack at making something out of it.

[Grant McKenzie]

This is a good deal for writers. Patterson is a golden goose for his publisher. He sells books. Lots of them. With this deal signed, the publisher can breathe a sigh of relief for three years and concentrate on signing up some new authors who, given the chance (plus some marketing and publicity, please) could become the next bestsellers.

[I. J. Parker]

Yes, but remember that he preempts also the sales of thousands of lesser known authors, thereby keeping them forever on the edge of disaster. Besides, he sets into concrete a certain style of writing and that further hurts others.

[I. J. Parker]

Very possible. :)